The Effect Of Different Management For Muscle Performance On Acute Stage Muscle Damage

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Muscular injury is one of the most common sports injuries. When the athletes suffer from injury, they usually need to receive emergent management to come back competition. Cold agents are used popularly as first-aid in management acute sports trauma. However, cold agents may cause joints stiffness and decreasing soft-tissue flexibility, it will influence the performance in the next round or section of the competition. PURPOSE: This study was designed to find the best way for short-term performance outcomes and long-term physical recovery outcomes to manage muscle damage in the acute stage. Method: 36 subjects performed one set of eccentric exercise protocol (ECC1). After the ECC1, subjects were randomly placed into cryotherapy group (n=12), electrical therapy group (n=12) or control group (n=12), and accepted treatment protocol with cryotherapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) modality or resting without management for one hour. When treatment protocol finished, all subjects performed the second set of eccentric exercise protocol (ECC2). Active range of motion (ROM), upper arm circumference (CIR), Serum creatine kinase (CK-MM) and maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) were assessed immediately before and after each eccentric exercise bout and day2, day4, day7, day10. CK-MM was collected at ECC1b and 2d, 4d, 7d, 10d. Result: The short term performance ability showed significant changes (p<0.05) in MVC between ECC1b and ECC2b in electrical therapy group, but not in cryotherapy group. The long term recovery outcomes showed significant changes (p<0.05) in ECC1b CK-MM on day2 and day7 in electrical group, and on day4 in control group. In intergroup analysis, CK-MM showed significant different (p<0.05) between electrical group and cryotherapy group on day2, day4, day7 and day10, and the same results between electrical group and control group. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term recovery outcomes showed cryotherapy is the most beneficial for muscle damage management between repeated sets, the short-term outcomes showed cryotherapy and resting are beneficial to the muscle performance, such as muscle strength and active range of motion. Electrical therapy is disadventiaged to manage muscle damage between repeated sets exercise.